Schadenfreude
by PatriciaRoseLovett
Summary: ... or not. First Avenue Q fic. Nicky needs a place to stay now that he's homeless and he's lived with everybody on Q. So, he turns to long-time friend Anna and her brother for a place. This tells their story till Rod asks him to move back in with him.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Schadenfreude ... or not.**

**Summary: Nicky's been going to her family's restaurant since it opened three months ago. Now that he's homeless and he's stayed with every other person on Q, he wants a place to stay. And he knows Anna's his only chance of not living on the streets. Until, of course, Rod asks him to live with him again.**

**A/N: I own nothing, except for Anna. And the restaurant. And her family.**

He hated asking her for help. He had before, but he hated to do it. He had to, though, and he wanted a place to live

"Hey, Anna?" he said as the waitress passed his table.

"Yeah, Nicky?"

"Could I stay with you and your brother for a while? Rod kicked me out at Brian and Christmas Eve's wedding, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure that Matt won't mind. He loves you, you know that."

"Anna, keep moving! This isn't social hour!" her brother called from three tables away.

Anna grinned, looking over at her brother. "Come back after work. I'll talk to Matt during break. More Coke?"

"Thanks, Anna."

"It's nothing, Nicky."

***

Nicky shivered as he stood outside of the door to the restaurant, waiting for his friend and her brother to come out and take him to their apartment. He hated New York winters, even though he'd been there all his life. He watched the couple at the cash register – his friends – as Anna laughed at something Matt said, and for some reason it reminded him of Brian and Christmas Eve's wedding, which in turn, reminded him of when Rod had kicked him out.

* * *

_"I'm sorry, Rod. What I meant to say was, I'd still be your buddy, even if you _were _gay," he said, stopping a few feet away from his friend._

_Rod took a shaky breath before saying, "Nicky … I want you out of the apartment when I get there."_

_"What?" Nicky said disbelievingly. "You're kicking me out?!" He laughed nervously, half hoping Rod would change his mind, but no such luck._

_"You can live in the park for all I care!" Rod looked back at Nicky before running off._

* * *

Anna looked up and saw Nicky standing at the door. She grinned, saying something to her brother, and started towards the door. He smiled as she unlocked the door, opening it enough to let him in, calling back to her brother, "Be lucky I love you, Matt." She sighed, shaking her head. "Nicholas Michael Verde. You haven't changed a bit since I last saw you."

"Which was what, twenty minutes ago?"

"Oh, shut up, Nicky."

"Can I thank you for doing this?"

"It's nothing, Nicky," Matt called from the cash register as he locked it up, before stuffing the key in his pocket and walking over to them. "Nicky, we're glad you asked. You need a good place to be. Rod really shouldn't have kicked you out."

"Ah, it's nothing. He'll come around."

Anna smiled, hugging her friend. "Cone on, Nicky. We need to get home."


	2. Chapter 2

It had been three weeks since Brian and Christmas Eve's wedding, when Rod kicked Nicky out, when Princeton and Kate broke up. Everybody had seen Nicky by then, and they were glad that he had somewhere to live. But Rod was somewhat sad that Nicky wasn't living with him anymore. He had to go see him. And where better to find him than the restaurant? **Maybe,** Rod thought, **he's still going there.**

About lunch time that Sunday, he went to the restaurant twenty blocks from Q, the one that he KNEW his ex-roommate loved visiting every day. As soon as he walked in, he spotted the green puppet's friend Anna at the cash register. She looked up to hand the guest checking out their receipt and smiled when she saw Rod. "Have a nice day," she said to the guest before coming around the counter and saying, "Hi, Rod. You here to see Nicky?"

"Yes, actually, Anna. Is he here?"

"He should be here soon. He always comes here at twelve-thirty on Sundays. Matt brings him in. And here he is," she added as her brother and her friend came through the front door. "It took you two long enough."

"His fault," Matt said, nodding at Nicky as he pulled his jacket off and hanging it on the coat rack behind the cash register. "Hi, Rod. You here to see Nicky?"

"No, actually, I came here for lunch. You know, try something new."

Anna nodded, glancing at her brother. "Go, go, go! Matt, if you're gone any longer, Dad's gonna take start taking out of your paycheck. Go tell him you're back from getting Nicky." As Matt scampered off, she added to Rod, "Do you want a table with Nicky?"

"I'd rather not, please, ma'am."

"Okay, then. Come on. Nicky, I'll be right back."

***

"For the love of God, you're a horrible liar, Rod," she said, setting the tray down on the stand.

"Was I really that bad?"

"It's okay, kid," Anna smiled, getting his glass and refilling it with water. "Nicky's fine, by the way. Dad's given him a job here at the restaurant. He'll be able to be on his own two feet after he's gotten enough money to get his own apartment and pay rent. Granted, of course, you don't ask him to move back in."

"If I did ask him to move back in with me, Anna, do you think your dad would let him keep his job here?"

"Nicky wanted the job, he applied, Dad interviewed him, and he got the job. As far as Dad's concerned, Nicky's a permanent member of the staff here at the restaurant. Of course Nicky'd still have his job here."

"Oh, good. Thank you for putting up with him, though."

"It's nothing, Rod."

"Anna, keep moving. Other people to be served."

"Oh, for the love of Pete," she muttered, rolling her eyes as her brother passed. "Matt, I'm friends with the man."

"Doesn't mean you can keep the other customers waiting."

"Shut up." She smacked him on the arm before laughing and going back to the kitchen to get her next order.


	3. Chapter 3

Nicky wanted out. He had enough money to pay for his own apartment, but he couldn't find one, and he wanted out of Anna's apartment. He _hated_ being a mooch off of her and her brother, but he couldn't find his own apartment. He wanted out of there.

He walked the fifteen blocks from the restaurant to Avenue Q just to visit. It had been two months since Brian and Christmas Eve's wedding, this time. When he got there, he saw their apartment lights off – they were gone. Princeton's was too, but then again he and Kate were together again, and they were probably living together. Lucy had moved off the street as well, apparently, but at least a few people were still here.

He looked up when Kate came out of her building. "Nicky! It's been too long." She ran up to him and hugged him. "Too long."

"Brian and Christmas Eve moved?"

"Yeah, they moved a few weeks ago, Nicky. Christmas Eve makes the commute, though, to the school. Did you see when you came down here?"

"I did. You're probably so proud of it, aren't you?"

"You should come visit the school sometime this fall. So, have you gotten an apartment of your own yet?"

Nicky shook his head. "No, not yet. I hate having to use Anna and Matt, but I can't find an apartment."

"Nicky, it's okay. You'll find something eventually. Just keep trying. Rod's got a boyfriend," she continued after a moment.

"Really?"

"He left half an hour ago to go visit you at the restaurant and tell you. Why aren't you there?"

"Lunch break. I didn't see him on the walk here. Are you sure he left, Kate?"

Yelling from Rod's apartment interrupted their conversation, and a minute later, Ricky came out of the apartment carrying his bags. "Nicky, you can have him back. I'm through with him visiting you every other day at that damn restaurant."

Rod stumbled out a moment later, tears in his eyes. He stopped when he saw Nicky. "Nicky? You're back?"

"It's my lunch break. I don't have much time. I should really be getting back. Anna's probably covering for me by now."

"If you ever want to come back to Q, you're always welcome here, Nicky," Kate said.

"Could you not tell anyone I was back?"

"Of course not, Nicky. I won't tell anyone."

"Rod?"

The blue puppet nodded. "I won't tell anyone, Nicky. I promise."

"Thank you. But I really should be getting back. I'll see ya 'round, I guess."

***

"Rod, it's been a while. Good Lord, what happened to you?"

"Ricky's what happened, Anna."

"Oh, Rod. Why did you stay with him?"

"I thought I was in love with him. But I miss Nicky."

Anna sighed, taking Rod's coat. "Rod, Nicky would gladly move back with you. All you have to do is ask."

Rod nodded. "Christmas Eve and Brian moved off the street. They both have good jobs."

"Well, good for them. Is Christmas Eve making the commute to Monsterssori still?"

"Yeah, she is. She's really sweet for doing that."

"Rod, if you want you can stay with us too, till your bruises heal."

"No, I'd hate to be a burden on you and your brother. You've got Nicky already."

"We've got the room, Rod. We wouldn't care."

"Can I get back to you on that?" he said after a second. "I need to think about it."

"What's there to think about? Rod, you're bruised beyond belief, and you need to recover."

"Anna, I'll be fine."

"Tell me if you change your mind, okay, Nicky?"

"I will, Anna."


	4. Chapter 4

"Why the Hell did you stay with him, Rod? He gave you a broken wrist and a fractured arm! That thing's gonna be in cast for months!"

"Nicky, I don't want to talk about it anymore. When they let me out, we're going back to Q and I'm staying home from work."

"Then how are we gonna pay rent?"

"You'll pay it. You've got a job, Nicholas, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, but –"

"Then you'll pay the rent. How I am I supposed to go to work if I can't do half my job because of the cast?"

"If you need _anything_, just go to Anna, or Matt, or even me. We're all willing to help."

Rod nodded, knowing that Nicky would help him in a heartbeat. "Nicky?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Will you move back in with me?"

***

"Do you want to?"

"Yes, but –"

"Then do it!"

"Okay, but Anna –"

"No, Nicky. We'll be fine. If Rod wants you back, he can have you back. Matt and I will be fine. We've all got jobs, don't we?"

"Thanks for letting me stay with you, Anna. You two have been real pals."

"It's nothing, Nicky. If he's ever stupid enough to kick you out again, just know you've got a place with us."

Nicky smiled, hugging her. "I'll remember that. See you at work tomorrow, Anna."

**A/N: And we're done. Now go read the sequel _My Boyfriend's Back_.**


End file.
